Uber has launched autonomous ride-hailing services in London, expanding its robotaxi operations in Europe just a day after the company ended its ride-hailing business in Nigeria.
The service, powered by artificial intelligence technology developed by British autonomous driving startup Wayve, was launched on Thursday, making London the second European city after Zagreb where Uber offers autonomous rides. Uber’s Global Head of Autonomous Mobility, Sarfraz Maredia, said the London launch would help the company build confidence among consumers and regulators as it expands its autonomous mobility ambitions globally.
According to Reuters, Maredia said the initiative would help “build credibility with consumers as well as with the government.”
Wayve CEO and co-founder, Alex Kendall, described London as an ideal testing ground for the company’s autonomous driving technology because of the complexity of the city’s road network and traffic environment.
The initial deployment involves fewer than 20 Wayve-powered Ford Mustang Mach-E electric vehicles. Each vehicle will have a licensed human operator onboard to monitor the system as the company prepares for fully driverless operations, subject to regulatory approval.Uber customers requesting UberX, Uber Comfort or Uber Electric services in areas covered by the pilot could be matched with a Wayve-powered autonomous vehicle at no additional cost.
Uber and Wayve announced their partnership in 2024, with Uber making a direct investment in the British startup as both companies agreed to work toward deploying Wayve-powered autonomous vehicles across multiple markets.
However, fully driverless operations in London cannot begin until the necessary regulatory approvals are secured, including authorisation from Transport for London.
The London expansion comes less than 24 hours after Uber shut down its ride-hailing operations in Nigeria, bringing its presence in the Nigerian market to an end after years of competition in the country’s mobility sector.
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